The following definitions apply to this subpart.

Boxed beef. The term “boxed beef” means those carlot-based portions of a beef carcass including fresh and frozen primals, subprimals, cuts fabricated from subprimals (excluding portion-control cuts such as chops and steaks similar to those portion cut items described in the Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS) for Fresh Beef Products Series 100), thin meats (e.g. inside and outside skirts, pectoral meat, cap and wedge meat, and blade meat), and fresh and frozen ground beef, beef trimmings, and boneless processing beef.

Branded. The term “branded” means boxed beef cuts produced and marketed under a corporate trademark (for example, products that are marketed on their quality, yield, or breed characteristics), or boxed beef cuts produced and marketed under one of USDA's Meat Grading and Certification Branch, Certified Beef programs.

Carcass characteristics. The term “carcass characteristics” means the range and average carcass weight in pounds, the quality grade and yield grade (if applicable), and the average cattle dressing percentage.

Carlot-based. The term “carlot-based” means any transaction between a buyer and a seller destined for two or less delivery stops consisting of one or more individual boxed beef items. When used in reference to cow and bull boxed beef items, the term “carlot-based” means any transaction between a buyer and seller consisting of 2,000 pounds or more of one or more individual items.

Cattle committed. The term “cattle committed” means cattle that are scheduled to be delivered to a packer within the 7-day period beginning on the date of an agreement to sell the cattle.

Cattle type. The term “cattle type” means the following types of cattle purchased for slaughter:

Fed steers;

Fed heifers;

Fed Holsteins and other fed dairy steers and heifers;

Cows; and

Bulls.

Established. The term “established”, when used in connection with prices, means that point in time when the buyer and seller agree upon a net price.

Formula marketing arrangement.

When used in reference to live cattle, the term “formula marketing arrangement” means the advance commitment of cattle for slaughter by any means other than through a negotiated purchase or a forward contract, using a method for calculating price in which the price is determined at a future date.

When used in reference to boxed beef, the term “formula marketing arrangement” means the advance commitment of boxed beef by any means other than through a negotiated purchase or a forward contract, using a method for calculating price in which the price is determined at a future date.

Forward contract. (1) When used in reference to live cattle, the term “forward contract” means an agreement for the purchase of cattle, executed in advance of slaughter, under which the base price is established by reference to prices quoted on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, or other comparable publicly available prices.

When used in reference to boxed beef, the term “forward contract” means an agreement for the sale of boxed beef, executed in advance of manufacture, under which the base price is established by reference to publicly available quoted prices.

Packer. The term “packer” means any person engaged in the business of buying cattle in commerce for purposes of slaughter, of manufacturing or preparing meats or meat food products from cattle for sale or shipment in commerce, or of marketing meats or meat food products from cattle in an unmanufactured form acting as a wholesale broker, dealer, or distributor in commerce. For any calendar year, the term “packer” includes only a federally inspected cattle processing plant that slaughtered an average of 125,000 head of cattle per year during the immediately preceding 5 calendar years. Additionally, in the case of a cattle processing plant that did not slaughter cattle during the immediately preceding 5 calendar years, it shall be considered a packer if the Secretary determines the processing plant should be considered a packer under this subpart after considering its capacity.

Packer-owned cattle. The term “packer-owned cattle” means cattle that a packer owns for at least 14 days immediately before slaughter.

Prices for cattle. The term “prices for cattle” includes the price per hundredweight; the purchase type; the quantity on a live and a dressed weight basis; the estimated live weight range; the average live weight; the estimated percentage of cattle of a USDA quality grade Choice or better; beef carcass classification; any premiums or discounts associated with weight, quality grade, yield grade, or type of purchase; cattle State of origin; estimated cattle dressing percentage; and price basis as F.O.B. feedlot or delivered at the plant.

Terms of trade. The term “terms of trade” means, with respect to the purchase of steers and heifers for slaughter:

Whether a packer provided any financing agreement or arrangement with regard to the steers and heifers;

Whether the delivery terms specified the location of the producer or the location of the packer's plant;

Whether the producer is able to unilaterally specify the date and time during the business day of the packer that the cattle are to be delivered for slaughter; and

The percentage of steers and heifers purchased by a packer as a negotiated purchase that are scheduled to be delivered to the plant for slaughter not later than 14 days and the percentage of slaughter steers and heifers purchased by a packer as a negotiated purchase that are scheduled to be delivered to the plant for slaughter more than 14 days, but fewer than 30 days.

Type of purchase. The term “type of purchase” with respect to cattle, means a negotiated purchase, negotiated grid purchase, a formula market arrangement, and a forward contract.

Type of sale. The term “type of sale” with respect to boxed beef, means a negotiated sale, a formula market arrangement, and a forward contract.

White cow. Cow on a ration that tends to produce white fat.